Conway's Game of Life

Conway's Game of Life, created by mathematician John Conway in 1970, stands as a timeless example of a cellular automaton. Played on an infinite two-dimensional rectangular grid, the game features cells that can be either alive or dead. Each cell's state evolves based on its interaction with neighboring cells—those directly horizontal, vertical, or diagonal to it.

The initial configuration marks the first generation. Subsequent generations unfold as the rules are uniformly applied across the board, with births and deaths occurring simultaneously. Iterative application of these rules generates successive generations.

The governing rules are straightforward yet profound:

• A living cell survives into the next generation if it has exactly 2 or 3 live neighbors.
• A dead cell comes to life if it has exactly 3 live neighbors.

Countless variations of these rules exist, but Conway meticulously refined his selection to strike a delicate balance. Some rule sets lead to rapid extinction, while others cause uncontrolled growth. The chosen rules hover near the threshold between these extremes, fostering intricate and dynamic patterns—a hallmark of chaos theory.

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Last updated: August 3, 2024 [yyxx]

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